Most papers comment on the publication of the Trajtenberg Committee’s recommendations yesterday:
Yediot Aharonot suggests the Trajtenberg committee’s recommendations will be frittered away and worn down "in endless subcommittees," until "only something partial and neutered is left." The author asserts that there cannot be, and will not be, any dramatic change without "a dramatic change in the composition of the Knesset," and concludes that "We will have a different kind of politics only if politicians committed to a different kind of politics sit in the Knesset."
Haaretz writes: "The Trajtenberg Committee, which published its conclusions yesterday, managed to achieve the impossible. It kept its promises and issued a lengthy and impressive report that deals with many issues, within a mere 50 business days. This is a serious report that on the one hand does not give in to populism, yet recommends making major economic and social reforms on the other. Despite heavy pressure both from within and outside the committee, the budget was not breached and the deficit was not increased. It is hard to overestimate the importance of this decision in view of the crises in Europe and the United States, where they did overspend and increase the public debt."
The Jerusalem Post writes: "This summer’s socioeconomic protests made a major contribution to Israeli society by bringing to the forefront, perhaps for the first time in such a forceful manner, the importance of socioeconomic issues. But while there is room for reevaluating how we determine our society’s list of priorities in the form of fiscal budget expenditures, we must also remember economic history’s painful lessons about the consequences of irresponsible spending. The Trajtenberg Committee certainly has. While there is room for a measured reallocation of our limited budgetary resources – perhaps by cutting from our huge defense budget as suggested by the Trajtenberg Committee – we must be vigilant against breaching the fiscal framework."
Yisrael Hayom criticizes the Trajtenberg committee’s call for major cuts in the defense budget and asks, "Does the committee understand that as of tomorrow we will go back to the level of training, and the level of readiness at emergency depots, from before the Second Lebanon War? Did the committee hesitate before signing off on its conclusions, knowing full well that no additional Iron Dome batteries will be purchased? Are we, the citizens who fought for a change in budgetary priorities, ready to stop investing in the development of intelligence assets that will tell us about what is going on in Iran, Syria and among the terrorist organizations?" The author complains that "The committee did not touch the government ministries that employ thousands of unnecessary officials. It did not try to secure budgets by merging redundant municipalities. It did not bother to halt the import of cheap foreign workers." The paper concludes that, "These are the conclusions of a committee that wants to build cheap housing but pay for it with the lives of defenseless citizens," and adds, "This is what happens when a committee bears no responsibility for the results of its work and for its recommendations."
Ma’ariv faults those who were so vocal in calling for socio-economic change for not coming out in support of the Israel Railway workers in their current labor dispute over management’s intention to bring in contract workers from overseas to service new rolling stock.
[Aviad Kleinberg, Yehuda Sharoni and Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Tzvika Fogel wrote today’s articles in Yediot Aharonot, Ma’ariv and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]
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